Corrales to miss 4-8 weeks with sprained MCL
By Jeff Carlisle · August 26, 2008
For the past several weeks it seemed like nothing could go wrong for the San Jose Earthquakes. Now comes the news that midfielder Ramiro Corrales will be lost for 4-8 weeks with a second degree sprain of the MCL in his left knee.
Corrales sustained the injury in the 14th minute of last weekend’s 0-0 tie with Chivas USA. The only good news to emerge from Corrales’ injury is that he will not need surgery.
“We had the MRI, and it’s just what we’ve said,” said San Jose manager Frank Yallop. “It’s a second degree sprain. We’re hoping it’s closer to four [weeks] than eight.”
The injury comes at a time when Corrales and Francisco Lima had struck up a good partnership in the center of midfield. Now Yallop will have to look to the likes of Ned Grabavoy or Kelly Gray to play in Corrales’ place. There are other candidates as well.
“Jovan [Kirovski] is in there too and John Cunliffe has played in the center of midfield a little bit,” said Yallop. “But I would think it’s between Ned and Kelly for this game on the weekend. Ned’s a little bit more of a natural midfielder. Kelly is a little bit more of a holding midfielder. I’ll decide later in the week what I”m going to do.”
Makes the Vide waiver look a little bad, doesn’t it? Especially in light of his swift acclimation into DC’s lineup. (Goal on Saturday).
This makes the Guerrero trade look bad, not the Vide release. Joe Vide was next to worthless and everyone gets lucky scoring a goal now and then.(see Cunliffe)
Makes the Mulrooney trade look, umm, err… This situation makes you realize just how good Corrales has been playing. I wish Kelly Gray played better in there vs. Chivas. His passing seemed a bit off and perhaps he could have hustled more I thought. I’d say give Grabavoy a shot becuase he is a little more attack minded and perhaps a better passer…
i like how the coach has laid it out there for both of them to bust their tails in practice and show which one deserves it. if it were a big physical MF we were going up against, i might lean towards gray, but grabavoy might be better suited to find the seams against KC…